Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best ebook reader android TXT) 📗

"whore" and "harlot," she began to comprehend at last the political implications of her adultery. Their outrage was in fact rooted in fear, the fear that she'd made Llewelyn ridiculous in the eyes of his English enemies. Nor was the fear illounded. The aging husband with a wanton young wife was a stock Sure of fun, found in innumerable comic tales and guild mummeries, Q for a Prince, nothing could be more injurious to authority than ghter, the mockery of other men. As Joanna came to this appalled erstanding, she realized, too, that her sin was twofold in the eyes of welyn's countrymen, for not only had she betrayed her husband, she etrayed him with a Norman, with one of her own. he faltered, and the heckling increased. She knew she must not enmust not show fear. For Davydd's sake, she must be strong ° to endure their scorn. As a child in London, she'd once seen a

638that she was to follow. She did, but gave Davydd one last despaj look over her shoulder, and Davydd cried out, "Wait!" §Beckoning to the nearest man, he gave a terse, low-voiced ord one that earned him a look of surprise. But the man obeyed, haste' across the bailey toward Joanna's lodgings, reemerging a moment lat with Topaz straining upon a leather leash.Davydd stood motionless, watching as Joanna moved to claim h dog, as she was then escorted toward the gateway. He ignored th stares, the whispers. Even the most probing eyes could read nothing i his face, and many marveled that he could be so impassive a witness t his mother's banishment from his father's court, his father's life. None was close enough to see the tears welling in his eyes.AS Joanna's guards carried the coffer chests into her bedchamber, Glynis said apologetically, "They would not allow me to take your jewelry, Madame. But Iwas permitted to pack your clothing and your harp and your bath vials and""That is more than I expected, Glynis." And more than she deserved. DuringIngeborg's years of confinement at Etampes Castle, it was said that Philip had denied her warm blankets, a physician's care. But I, Joanna thought bleakly, Iam to do penance in my own bedchamber, with silver brushes and bath oils. Her guilt suddenly seemed more than she could bear. For the first time, she could understand why repentant sinners sought to expiate their wrongdoing with hair shirts, with sackcloth and ashes. Such gestures no longer seemed extravagant or suspect; theirs was actually the easier way, mortifying the flesh in order to mend the spirit.As the men withdrew, Joanna moved toward the younger woman. "It was kind of you to come, Glynis. But you need not stay with me.'"I know that, Madame. Lord Davydd said that if I did not want to come toLlanfaes, he'd find another to serve you. But I told him it was my wish to be with you."Joanna felt tears prick her eyes, but she blinked them back, fearing that if she started to cry, she'd not be able to stop. She hugged Glynis wordlessly, and the girl said shyly, "Madame, will you tell me how this came to be? I do not understand, for 1 know you love Lord Llewelyn-"Yes ... I do. And I will try to answer you, Glynis. But there is something Imust do first. Did you bring parchment, pen and ink.Glynis nodded sadly. "They were the very first items I packed, . lady." ^It took Joanna most of the afternoon to compose the letter o ^ ^ husband.Again and again she had to scrape the parchment clean,

639the words began to come She did not try to make Llewelyn under-d her infidelity, she knew that was hopeless She gave him, instead, 5 f rtual account of the chronology of her brief liaison, swore that it was ajong before Will's foolhardy intrusion into her bedchamber SheId him she loved him, would always love him, and she begged him to what he could for Davydd, and to find the right words when tellingFlen And then she sent Glynis in search of Bran"Will you take this letter back to Aber, to Lord Llewelyn7" Seeing him about to refuse, Joanna hastily pulled a ring from her finger "I would like you to accept this garnet ring as a token of my gratitude "He eyed the ring with longing, but still he hesitated, and Joanna realized that he feared to face Llewelyn, to be the bearer of an unfaithful wife's plea"Take the letter to Lord Davydd Tell him I ask that he give it to his father "He reached for the ring, and then the letter, and after that, Joanna could do nothing but wait He was back sooner than she expected, shortly after dusk At sight of the letter she felt a sudden throb of hope, for she'd not thoughtLlewelyn would answer her What mattered was that he would read her letter, learn the truth But as she turned it over, she saw her own seal, unbroken, intactBran averted his eyes, made uncomfortable by what he saw now in her face "As you see, Lord Llewelyn would not open it, and Lord Davydd said he said it will avail you naught to write again He said his lord father will not read your letters "JOANNA was standing at the window, gazing up at a spring sky as brightly blue as the Irish Sea, clouds drifted by like floating islands, trailmg fleece in their wake The meadows would be ablaze in gorse, a brilliant yellow flower she'd picked by the armful in springs gone by How strange that something so simple as a walk on the beach could suddenly mean so much"Glynis, is this a Thursday or a Friday7 When I awoke this morn, I c°uld be sure neither of the day nor the date ""This is a Friday, Madame, the third of May " May third," Joanna echoed, and then, "eighteen days " She Tied abruptly from the